IaC-Crypto-Accounting-System

Final project for my Master's thesis at HTW Berlin - "Building a dynamic carbon-aware infrastructure deployment using IaC"

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1. Tech Stack

Backend

• Python
  • Framework: FastAPI
  • Blockchain API: web3.py, BitQuery
    • Other options: CoinGecko, Binance, CoinMarketCap, EtherScan...

Frontend

• Framework: React.js
• Design Library: Bootstrap

Database

• Relational: PostgreSQL
• NoSQL: MongoDB

Infrastructure & Automation

• IaC: Terraform to provision:
  • Cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP)
  • Databases (RDS for PostgreSQL)
  • Compute instances (EC2 / Lambda for serverless - dedicated to lightweight tasks)
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions
• Containerization: Docker

Blockchain integration

• ETH, BSC, Polygon... TBC
• APIs from Alchemy / Infura

Cloud

• AWS (integrates with Terraform, robust set of services for data / compute resources)

APIs

• ElectricityMaps for integration carbon-aware infrastructure for future scaling
• Accounting APIs: e.g. Ledger Python

ToDos

Core Features

1. Authentication / profile management -> likely just by entering public crypto address <> blockchain API
2. Fetch balances & transactions via blockchain APIs
3. Build tables (from databases) showing all (crypto) transactions
4. Generate reports: Calculate income, expenses, and profit based on crypto prices.
5. Export financial data for tax purposes (CSV/Excel).

Setup dev environment

1. Install Terraform & setup provider
2. Configure python venv and install dependencies (pip install fastapi uvicorn web3 psycopg2-binary)

Next steps

1. Write Terraform scripts for:
   • Provisioning a PostgreSQL database (or RDS instance) -> TBD
   • Deploying an EC2 instance for hosting your backend.
   • Setting up storage for logs or exported reports (e.g., S3 buckets).

Example Terraform for PostgreSQL database:

resource "aws_db_instance" "crypto_db" {
  allocated_storage = 20
  engine            = "postgres"
  engine_version    = "13"
  instance_class    = "db.t2.micro"
  name              = "crypto_accounting"
  username          = "admin"
  password          = "secure_password"
  parameter_group_name = "default.postgres13"
}

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Steps taken:

1. Create git repo (https://github.com/JeremLeOuf/IaC-Crypto-Accounting-System)
2. Clone in VSCode
3. Install pip and install virtualenv
4. Create virtual environment "CryptoAccounting" virtualenv CryptoCompta
5. Activate it: CryptoCompta/bin/activate

2.1. Dev Environment setup: source setup.sh :

• Install pip, git, unzip
• Create CryptoCompta virtualenv and activate it
• Install requirements
• Install AWS CLI
• Init terraform
• Keep the session alive with the activate virtualenv

6. Create a requirements.txt file in the root of the project folder with the following dependencies: fastapi uvicorn web3 psycopg2-binary TO CORRECT

• Install them: pip install -r requirements.txt > After activating venv Should be done only on the production machine

• Install Terraform: sh install_terraform.sh